Volume 5 Chapter 9

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Volume 5 Chapter 9: Speculation

Noticing the strange looks from the elders and the shy expressions of female cultivators like Dongfang Qingling, Xu Qingfan was taken aback and looked at himself. Even though he prided himself on being composed and indifferent to fame or disgrace, his face flushed with embarrassment.

The "Way of Life and Death" is indeed remarkable; it can restore and reshape Xu Qingfan’s charred body, even improving his aptitude slightly. Xu Qingfan estimated he could now retain about thirty-five percent of the absorbed heavenly Spirit Qi.

Although only half a percent more than before, it would significantly speed up his future cultivation.

However, Xu Qingfan also discovered a critical flaw in the "Way of Life and Death," one that was quite deadly at the moment.

That is, while it could heal and reshape Xu Qingfan’s body burned by the Phoenix Spirit Fire, it couldn’t repair his clothes, which were also burned.

In other words, Xu Qingfan was now unclothed, with nearly forty elders of Jiuhua having observed him for quite some time.

Xu Qingfan reckoned he might be the first naked cultivator in the cultivation world to break through a realm while being watched by everyone. Fortunately, Elder Yunyouzi had passed away; otherwise, he would have recorded Xu Qingfan’s tale in the "Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas," making his embarrassment legendary.

However, Xu Qingfan was quite experienced, and after the initial embarrassment and confusion, he quickly regained composure. With a few deft gestures, he conjured an illusion, transforming it into a familiar white robe that draped comfortably over him.

Though the illusion was hastily crafted and not particularly sophisticated, and despite the presence of Jiuhua elders with greater skills than Xu Qingfan, he was confident that no elder would be bored enough to look through his illusion with the "Sky Eye Skill."

Although still without real clothing, the illusion covering him gave Xu Qingfan a bit of calmness, and he nodded awkwardly in acknowledgment to the elders.

The elders naturally would not tease Xu Qingfan about this incident. After congratulating him on his breakthrough, they all took their leave, leaving behind only Jin Qinghan, Lv Qingshang, Li Yuhan, and Sheng Yushan, who were familiar with Xu Qingfan. Dongfang Qingling, despite her close relationship with Xu Qingfan, was too embarrassed due to his earlier state and was the first to leave.

As the elders departed and only his friends remained, Xu Qingfan’s embarrassment eased slightly.

However, with only friends around, Lv Qingshang’s personality meant he would likely joke without restraint.

Contrary to Xu Qingfan’s expectations, after the Jiuhua elders left, Jin Qinghan and the others didn’t appear relieved; instead, they grew more serious. The laughter Xu Qingfan feared never came.

"Senior Brother Xu, what exactly happened before your breakthrough?" Jin Qinghan asked first, frowning once the elders had left.

"Yes, while Feng Qingtian is annoying, he’s not one to cause trouble. How did you end up in a duel with him?" Lv Qingshang asked seriously, his usual carefree demeanor gone.

Nearby, Li Yuhan and Sheng Yushan watched Xu Qingfan intently, waiting for his response, even though they didn’t speak.

Earlier, when everyone arrived at the back mountain of Jiuhua, they saw Xu Qingfan’s entire body was scorched, and Feng Qingtian looked exhausted and seriously injured. Although Feng Qingtian insisted that this happened because they accidentally hurt each other during a spar, everyone was not blind and could tell something was wrong, even if they couldn’t argue back.

Since it involved Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan and the others refrained from asking questions while all the elders were present. But now, with the elders gone, they couldn’t wait to inquire.

Compared to this, Xu Qingfan being naked in front of everyone earlier was not particularly noteworthy.

Hearing Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang’s questions, Xu Qingfan did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "How long did it take me to break through this time?"

Jin Qinghan replied, "About ten days or so."

Xu Qingfan nodded and then asked, "Where is Feng Qingtian now?"

Li Yuhan answered, "He’s been punished by the sect leader to reflect in isolation. It’s said that after hearing you almost died, the Sect Master was furious and gave Feng Qingtian no face, ordering him not to step outside the Feng family residence for ten years."

Hearing Lv Qingshang say this, a thoughtful look appeared in Xu Qingfan’s eyes.

Xu Qingfan had gone through so much that he was no longer a child. He wasn’t particularly grateful for Zhang Hualing’s statement and instead thought of more.

Although Xu Qingfan suffered a crushing defeat in his previous battle with Feng Qingtian, he managed to severely injure Feng Qingtian’s body and Original Soul. He even forced the "Withered Qi" into Feng Qingtian’s body. Xu Qingfan estimated that it would take Feng Qingtian at least ten years to recover. Even though Feng Qingtian had the "Phoenix Nirvana" power, it was useless against the damage to his Original Soul and the invasion of the "Withered Qi." During these ten years, Feng Qingtian wouldn’t be able to fight anyone.

Zhang Hualing could certainly see Feng Qingtian’s condition. His ban wasn’t just to appease Xu Qingfan, but also to ensure Feng Qingtian had time to heal and prevent Xu Qingfan from seeking revenge during these ten years.

"It seems the Sect Master wants to be a peacemaker."

After understanding, Xu Qingfan immediately grasped Zhang Hualing’s intentions. Xu Qingfan, being Jiuhua’s Deacon Elder, had a high reputation among the younger elders and disciples. Feng Qingtian, as Jiuhua’s top genius, had an uncertain future in terms of his cultivation potential. So, Zhang Hualing didn’t want them to clash again, which is why he made this decision.

"It seems I must have a good talk with the Sect Master. Feng Qingtian’s attempt to kill me surely had more behind it than it seemed."

Xu Qingfan returned to the place where he battled Feng Qingtian, finding the core Yellow Jade of the two external embodiments amid the shattered earth. Thankfully, they were not destroyed. Feng Qingtian’s "Art of Fire Hell" merely caused Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying’s Spirit Qi-composed bodies to collapse. Since the core wasn’t damaged, Xu Qingfan just needed to infuse Spirit Qi into them again for Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan to reappear.

Creating Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan cost Xu Qingfan nearly five thousand spirit stones, but most were used for driving them. Restoring Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying now would only cost a few hundred high-grade spirit stones.

Then, Xu Qingfan found a piece of torn fabric from where he had fainted earlier. It was a fragment from the sleeve of his clothes because Xu Qingfan had used the "Sleeve Space" technique with layers of protection spells; it had not turned to ash like the rest of the clothing. Inside, his entire wealth was hidden.

After finishing everything, Xu Qingfan looked around, searching for the figure of Little Black.

Previously, because Little Black had the "Eye of the Death God," he was not burned to death by Feng Qingtian’s "Art of Fire Hell," but was severely burned instead. At this moment, Xu Qingfan could clearly sense that Little Black was nearby.

While Xu Qingfan was searching, a sudden flash of black light emerged from an undamaged part of the nearby forest, quickly shooting towards Xu Qingfan, finally stopping on his shoulder. It was the very Little Black Xu Qingfan was looking for. While Xu Qingfan was searching, Little Black instinctively understood his thoughts and swiftly returned to his side.

Previously, Little Black had been quietly guarding Xu Qingfan in that forest.

Xu Qingfan reached out to gently touch Little Black’s body in gratitude and discovered that Little Black’s healing abilities were remarkable, as his burns had fully healed. However, the black feathers that were burned off had not completely regrown yet.

After a careful inspection, Xu Qingfan found that he had not actually lost anything in his fight with Feng Qingtian. Instead, he had turned misfortune into good fortune, gaining insight into the third divine power and breaking through to the Real Golden Core Stage, becoming the third person among the Jiuhua disciples of the "Qing" generation, after Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan.

However, Feng Qingtian’s sudden hostility towards him still left Xu Qingfan with a lingering unease, a sense of impending storm.

While Xu Qingfan was deep in thought, Jin Qinghan asked, "Senior Brother Xu, you haven’t answered my previous question. What really happened between you and Feng Qingtian? Why did you fight to the death?"

Xu Qingfan sighed softly, pondering whether to tell everyone about Feng Qingtian’s murderous intent towards him. In theory, such matters should be disclosed, as Jin Qinghan and others had close relationships with Xu Qingfan. Knowing this could provide them with more allies and support in the future. However, Xu Qingfan feared that once Jin Qinghan knew about this, he might disobey Zhang Hualing’s orders and storm into the Feng family’s old residence to confront Feng Qingtian.

Before figuring out Feng Qingtian’s intentions, Xu Qingfan didn’t want to stir up any trouble.

Just as Xu Qingfan was pondering how to respond, a shimmering light suddenly flashed from the front mountain toward the crowd. Upon a closer look, it was Jiuhua’s Supreme Protector Gongsun Huasa.